Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-10-28


the Journey to be made is short one; they
90 at full gallop. As soon as we were
seated the driver called out, the horses
sprang forward, and we were whirled away
nj n speed sufficient to take ones breath,
and which, till got accustomed to it, Kept
me in 1nomentary fear Of an upset. AS
for the wretched Alphonse, he chung with
q despairing face to the side of what he
called this devil of ffacre," thinking
that every moment was his last. Present
ly It occurred to him to ask where we were
going: and told him that so far rs could
ascertain, we were going to be sacrificed
by burning. You should have seen his
face
Monsieur" he called out TO the driver.
Monsieur lc cocher Have the bounty TO
nc. CT soaring into space. / reaIy must
leave whoever reads this to imagine the
surprising glory Of these golden roofs
flashing when the sun strikes-hashing
like thousand fires aflame on mountain
of polished marble-so fierccly that the re-
Election can be clearly seen from the great
peaks of the "a ge hundred miles away.
1t is a marvellous sight, this golden flower
upborne upon the cool white marble walls,
and | doubt If the world can show such an
other What makes the whole effect even
moro GORGEOUS is, that n belt of hundred
and fifty feet around the marble wall OF
the temple is planted with an indigenous
species OF sunfIower, which showed, at the
time when we first saw them, sheet OF
golden bloom.
The man entrance to this wonderful
Mace Is between the two northernmost oil
the ray or petal courts. and is protected
first By the usual bronze gates, and then
by doors made of solid marble, beautifully
carved with aIlegorical subjects and over
laid with gold When these are passed
there is only the thickness Of the wall,
which is. however, twenty-five feet flor the
Zu-Vcndi build for all time) and another
slight door, also of white marble, intro
dyceL in order to avoid causing a visible
gap in the inner skin of the wall, and you
stand IN the circular hail under the great
dome. Advancing to the central altar you
look upon as beautiful Il sight as the imag'
inarian OF man can conceive. You are in
the mi la!e OF tIe holy place, and above
goa the great white marble dome for the
inner skin, like the outer, IS Of polished
marble throughouD arches away in grace
ful curves something like that Of st. Paups
in London. only at u slightcr angle, and
from the funnel-liEe opening at the eyac;
apex q bright beam Of light pours down
upon she golden altar. At the east and
the west are other affairs, and o<her beam!
OF Igas stab the sacred twilight to the
hear. IN every direction, white, mystic.
wonderful, open ont the ray-li%e courts,
each pierced through by sinGl, arrow Of
light that serves to iliumina its lofty
silence and dimly 10 reveal the monuments
or the mighty dead eight was also admit
ted by sliding shutters under the caves Of
the dome and in the rCUf-A. o..
Overcome ut 50 awc-inspiring asight, the
vast loneliness Of which thrills the nerves
like glance from beGuty's eyes, you turn
TO the central golden altar, in the midst Of
which. though you cannot see it now, there
burns n pale but steady flame crowned
with curlsof faint blue smoke. It is Of
marble ovsrIaid with pure gold, in shape
round like the sun, four feet in hei ght, and
thirty-six in circumference. Here, also,
hinged to the foundations of the altar, are
twelve petals of beaten gold. All night,
and, except at one hour, all day also, these
petals are closed over the altar itself, eX-
actly as tho petals Of water-lily close
,
but when the sun Mt midday pierces
through tho funnel in the dome and lights
upon the golden flower, the petals open and
reveal the hidden mystery, only to close
again when the ray has passed.
Nor is this all Standing in semicircle5
ut equal distances from each other on the
north and south of the sacred place are ten
golden angels, or female winged forms,
eXQuisitely shaped and drapcd. These fig
ures, which are slightly larger than life
size stand with bent heads in an attitude
of alteration, their faces Swallowed by their
wings, and are most imposing and of ex-
Ceeding beauty.
There is but one thing further that calls
for description in this altar, and that is.
that to the east the flooring in front of it
is not of pure white marble, as elsewhere
throughout the building, but of solid brass;
and this is also the case in front of the 9th
or two affairs.
The eastern and western affairs, which
are semicircular in shape, and placed
against the wall of tho building, are much
less imposing, and are not embodied in
golden petals. They are, however, also of
gold, the sacred fire burns on each, and Il
golden winged figure stands on either side
of them. Two great golden rays run up
the wall behind them, but where the third
or middle one should be is an opening in
the wall, wide on the outside but narrow
within, like n loophole turned inward.
Through the eastern loophole stream the
first beams of the rising sun, and strike
right across the circle, touching the folded
petals of the great gold flower as they pass,
till they imPtngc upon the western altar
In the same way at night the last rays 81
the sinking sun rest FOR awhile on the
eastern altar before they die away into
darkness. It is the promise Of the dawn
to the evening, ana the evening to the
dawn.
With the exception Of these three affairs
and the winged figures shout them. the
wholc2space beneath the vast white dome
is utterly empty and devoid Of ornamental
tion-a circumstance that tony fancy adds
greatly to its grandeur.
Such is brief description of this Won
derful and lovely building. to the glories OF
which, 80 my mind SO much enhanced by
their complete simplicity, only wish l had
the power To do justice. But | cannot. Sc
1t is useless talking more about It. But
when compare this great work Of genius
to some of the tawdry buildings and tinscl
ornamentaion produced in these latter
days by European ecclesiastical architects,
/ feel that even highly civilized art might
learn something from the Zu-Venlf mas,
terpieces. | can only say that the cNCla-
nation which sprung to my lips as soon rs
my eyes first became accustomed to the
dim light of that glorious building, and its
white and curving beauties, perfect and
thrilling as those of a naked goddess, grew
upon me one by one, was, Well a doc
would feel religious here" II il vulEarly
put, but perhaps il conveys my meaning
more clearly than any polished utterance.
At the temple gates our party was re
ceived by guard of soldiers, who appear.
ed 10 be under the orders of n priest: and
BY them we were conducted into one Of the
ray or petal courts, rs the priests call
them, and there left for at least half IN
hour. Here we conferred together, and
realizing that we stood in great danger ot
our lives, determined that II any attemp:
should be made upon us, to sell them as
dearly as we could UmslopoSaas announc
ing his fixed intention OF committing sac.
rile.e on the person OF Agon, the High
Priest, by splitting his venerable head with
lnkosikaasi. From where we stood we
cease flying the stomach to the ground
centre q teYre0 l would withdraw.
am incommoded, and would descend. Ar
rest yourself, pray OF you"
But the wild-looktns chariotee- on ly
leant forward over his flying steeds and
shouted, and the air. as it went singing
past, bore away the sounds of Mphonse's
lamentations